January 2023 Newsletter for Graduate & Professional Students
Vice Provost for Education
Newsletter for Graduate & Professional Students
January 2023
Announcements from
Vice Provost for Education Karen Detlefsen, Ph.D.
Welcome back to campus! I know this is a busy time of year and your inboxes are full, so I’m sharing just a few highlights. I encourage you to click on links for more details and opportunities.
Graduate & Professional Student Survey Results
Thanks again to everyone who filled out the Graduate and Professional Student Survey last spring. The results are now available on Penn’s Institutional Research website. We will use the survey results to further our work to continually improve graduate education at Penn.
PhD Graduation
Sign up for May 2023 graduation is now open for PhD students! View the Graduation Calendar for important dates and deadlines.
Get help formatting your dissertation!
Visit the Graduate Degrees team in-person during office hours in the Graduate Student Center Tuesdays at 3pm, make a one-on-one formatting appointment online, read the newly updated Dissertation Formatting Guide, or attend a LaTeX workshop to learn how to write your dissertation with LaTeX.
Highlighted Resources
Free Access to NATURE Masterclasses
Nature Masterclasses online courses are short (10-20 minute) on-demand, self-paced lessons designed to provide professional development training for researchers. Courses include Scientific Writing & Publishing, Persuasive Grant Writing, Advancing your Scientific Presentations, and more. Current Penn students can access free training and online courses through the University’s institutional subscription. Register via Single Sign-On, using your institutional login details to access the courses: https://masterclasses.nature.com/register
CTL Mini Course in Inclusive and Equitable Teaching
How can the identities salient to our students not only be valued in the classroom, but also leveraged as strengths for learning? In this mini course, participants will uncover a variety of approaches to help students learn and thrive to the best of their abilities. Three sessions offered, starting February 2. See session dates and register in advance here.
Penn Ice Rink
Winter is a great time to check out the Penn Ice Rink, which offers Public Skating sessions throughout the season. Skating is a great way to get out of the house, get some exercise and socialize!
Upcoming Events and Activities
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Symposium on Social Change
through February 3; times and locations vary
Each year, the AARC coordinates with partners throughout the University of Pennsylvania and our surrounding communities to come together in commemoration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Many events are open to friends and family! See a complete event listing here.
Penn 3MT 2023 Competition
Explaining your research quickly and clearly is a great skill to have during networking, interviews, and unexpected social situations. Penn's 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) competition will give you that experience and more! Win prizes of up to $1000 and an opportunity to represent Penn in regional and inter-Ivy 3MT competitions! Learn more and submit an interest form at: www.gsc.upenn.edu/penn-3mt
Fourth Friday @ Five: Winter Wonderland
Escape the winter cold and warm up in the Grad Center as we gather for our first Fourth Friday Happy Hour of the spring semester. This month we will be embracing a winter wonderland theme and students will have the opportunity to decorate sugar cookies and make snowflakes! Get more information and register.
See more upcoming events and activities:
- Grad Center Events Calendar
- Grad Center “Events Around Campus” Calendar
- University Life Calendar of Events
- GAPSA Events Calendar
Graduate Funding and Professional Opportunities
Did you know that the Grad Center posts a regular digest of funding and professional opportunities for graduate and professional students, in addition to the information on their Funding & Finances and Grants & Fellowships pages?
Opportunities in this month’s digest include:
- Perry World House Colloquium Rapporteur | Deadline: January 27
- Regeneron Prize for Creative Innovation | Deadline: January 31
- Provost’s Graduate Academic Engagement Fellowship | Deadline: February 13
See additional deadlines and opportunities here.
Penn Grad News
Check out the latest headlines from the Grad Center’s collection of news about – and for – Penn graduate and professional students:
- Winners of the Weitzman School’s Disrupt the Reflection Design Competition announced
- Law student Devontae Torriente pens op-ed on the effects of Central Bucks school board banning Pride flags
- Four SP2 master's students discuss their experiences in the Social Justice Scholars cohort
- Demography PhD student Gwynne Evans-Lomayesva on improving representation of American Indian and Alaska Native populations in data analyses
- PhD student Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon pens op-ed contrasting Russia’s narrative as a protector of African interests and its own mistreatment of Africans
- PhD candidate Kimberly Cárdenas studies the political engagement of LGBTQ+ Black and Latinx populations
See more Penn Grad News.
About the Vice Provost for Education
The Vice Provost for Education oversees undergraduate and graduate education at Penn, developing and implementing policies that promote academic excellence, innovative teaching and learning, and interdisciplinary knowledge across the University. The Vice Provost chairs the Council of Graduate Deans, the Council of Professional Master’s Degree Deans, the Graduate Council of the Faculties, the Council of Undergraduate Deans, and the Faculty Advisory Council for Access and Academic Support Initiatives.
